Telangana Education Dept. Strict Over Enforcement of Half-day Schools
The school education department has made it clear that the rule applies to all schools
HYDERABAD: A private school is allegedly continuing full-day classes from 8.05 am to 2.50 pm despite a state government order mandating half-day schedules from mid-March due to summer conditions. Though the school is a private CBSE institution, the school education department has made it clear that the rule applies to all schools.
“The GO applies to all schools. I didn’t know this was happening. If the rule is being flouted, I’ll ask the DEO to take action,” said director of school education E. Naveen Nicolas.
A parent said the issue was not new and has been repeated every summer. “There is no concept of half-day school,” the parent said, adding that the long hours were difficult for children, especially those in primary schools. “Every other school around follows half-day school, but this is different,” they said, adding that families are hesitant to complain directly to the school. “We find it difficult to bring concerns to the school since they tend to take it out on the children,” they said.
Venkat Sainath of Hyderabad Schools Parents’ Association (HSPA) said such cases pointed to a broader pattern. “Some of these private schools think they are beyond state law. They must know that they cannot flout it as per their will, there must be some strict action” he said.
Sainath alleged that this sense of impunity often discouraged parents from speaking up, and referred to a recent case where students were allegedly expelled after parents questioned fee practices. “This is also what leads them to harass the children when issues are raised. And in one case even rusticate.”
The school education department, on March 12, had directed that all schools in Telangana including government, aided and private, must follow a half-day schedule from March 15 until April 23 due to rising summer temperatures. The order also fixed timings roughly between 8 am and 12.30 pm. Limited exceptions were allowed for SSC-related activities and special classes, but regular school hours are required to remain within the half-day schedule.
